Field
The present disclosure generally relates to fluid inlet ports and, in particular, a configurable adapter that can accept a fluid from either of two sources having different connectors.
Description of the Related Art
Patients with respiratory injury, such as chronic respiratory failure, may be provided with a respirator to assist with their breathing or, in severe cases, take over the breathing function entirely. Respirators typically provide a flow of air, or other breathing gases, at an elevated pressure during an inhalation interval, followed by an exhalation interval where the pressurized air is diverted so that the air within the patient's lungs can be naturally expelled.
Conventional respirators may be configured to accept one or more breathing gases, for example “pure oxygen” or “heliox 80/20” (a mixture of 80% helium with 20% oxygen) from external sources. It is important to configure the respirator according to the gas provided, for example connecting to a source of pure oxygen to be mixed with compressed air to provide an oxygen-enriched air to a patient as compared to connecting to a source of pure heliox that is to be provided undiluted to the patient. Conventional respirators may require manual identification of the gas being provided and carries a risk that a user may not correctly identify the gas that is actually being provided.